W: How did you get your start shooting time lapses? What did you find interesting about them?

SP: Looking around the internet and seeing the increasing number of stunning time lapse productions on Vimeo and YouTube really got me inspired. For me, time lapse is an extension of my existing camera skills to this growing photography genre. It’s great to capture and see how the world around us behaves which we cannot normally see with the naked eye.

Time lapse photography has been around for a long time, but this was usually static and didn’t typically draw people in. What I found interesting was the use of new tools providing a range of motion that gives the final production a real dynamic edge to the finished work.

W: What gear do you use?

SP: I use a range of equipment from various suppliers, each having their own unique point of difference. These tools include intervalometers (a small programmable controller), a dolly (long rail), and motorized heads for panning and tilting the camera.

I mainly use gear supplied by Dynamic Perception based in Michigan, USA. I believe they’re the most innovative in this field and their gear is evolving to meet the changing demands of time lapse photographers. I also use software programs like LRTimelapse specifically designed for editing and producing time lapse, and Adobe Lightroom, After Effects, and Premiere Pro.

W: Can you walk us through the process of shooting a time lapse from setup to final editing?

SP: Every time lapse photographer has a different workflow, but there are common threads to producing a great movie. There is a greater amount of time spent on the production using a fast computer than actually sitting behind the lens. My workflow centres on these basic steps:

1. Think as a still photographer and choose a compelling scene that has great compositional aspects, ideally something that shows some form of change over time;
2. Set up your gear and choose an appropriate interval between each shot. Always shoot in raw mode to allow better editing. Allow a moderate range of movement from start to end;
3. Load and categorise the images onto your hard drive;
4. Import the images using a photo editing program. Adjust the image for exposure, colour, highlights and tones. Apply these edits across all frames. Export them as finished images;
5. Render a high resolution clip of the finished images in a program like Adobe After Effects. Make any time-based changes using key frames, i.e. points along the way where things might change such as exposure and changing light.

The workflow could end here for a single sequence and then be uploaded onto movie sharing websites or social media. For a production, further steps in the workflow might include:

6. Importing the individual clips into a finishing program like Adobe Premiere Pro and sequence them on a theme to your own desire.
7. Find an appropriate piece of music that fits the scenes. Edit the clips to keep the best bits of each time lapse, and speed up or slow down the individual clips to match the music.
8. Test the movie by showing to others. Make any adjustments.
9. Upload to movie channel sites and share on social media

W: How do you choose locations to shoot?

SP: Photographers are always looking at the work of others, whether that be from photo websites or from a book. I do the same. I do lots of research on locations, but don’t usually shoot the same as everyone else. Some locations are overdone. I like to find my scenes by exploring with my own two feet and stopping when something catches my eye. Then I evaluate compositional aspects.

W: Do you have a favorite type of landscape you like to shoot?

SP: I like to look for interesting land formations. This might include rock shapes, the way a stream flows through the land, or an interesting sky. Colour is another compositional aspect I like to bring into my landscapes.

W: What challenges do you face when shooting time lapses? Is lighting a challenge?

SP: There are many challenges, from lighting to technical issues such as familiarity with the gear, batteries, weather, such as rain drops or condensation building up on a lens, and in some cases, sand flies. One common issue for time lapse photographers including myself is flicker. This is where the aperture inside the lens doesn’t always rest in the same position after each exposure. This causes uneven changes in light. This is easily overcome however using camera techniques or software. Lighting can be a challenge too. Sometimes the sky and light just don’t deliver.

In my recent Mainland New Zealand time lapse, I had issues with some scenes that were ‘blown out’, i.e., the bright highlights had left out some of the detail.

W: What do you take into consideration when choosing music for your time lapses?

SP: A good question and one I often struggle with. It’s been said by many that imagery and sound must compliment each other to keep us glued to the screen. A final production can look great visually, but the effect is easily lost when the music doesn’t match. I’ve seen this a number of times. When making my productions, I listen to hundreds of tracks and visualise the scenes in my mind. You know it when you hear it. I like to consider the change in tempo and beat of the track and this is great to link something from the clip, such as the peaking of the sun over the mountain on a sunrise, or a scene transition. Generally speaking, landscapes and city scenes often demand different music genre.

W: What do you have to do differently when creating  a Hyperlapse?

SP: This is a technique that requires a lot of patience, and effort can be wasted if the technique is not properly followed. Hyperlapse requires careful measuring out of the ground, a camera that’s level on the horizontal, a frame every ten seconds, and an eye focused on a central point of each shot. After that, lots of post production on the PC is required using a good program that has a good stablilisation feature.

W: Whose time lapse work inspires you most?

SP: I’m inspired by time lapse photographers including Bevan Percival who lives here in New Zealand, Enrique Pacheco and Eric Hines. Their work and knowledge of time lapse comes from hours of dedication. I have a lot more to learn to get to this level.

See more of Stephen’s work at the following websites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephenPatiencePhotography

Website: http://patience.co.nz

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Sometimes Souls Collide

W: How did you get your start in photography?

LS: Growing up, my parents always took lots of family pictures, and they got my sister and me cameras when we were quite young. This is where my interest in photography started, though it was only a hobby back then, and not one I did on a regular basis. Flash forward many, many years, to the age of about 35. I had been working at a job where I did Medicare billing, and so I was on the computer typing all day long every day. I developed carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis in the shoulders and arms, and, worst of all, my neck was just killing me, which turned out to be because I had three herniated discs in my neck, cervical spinal stenosis, bone spurs, and a couple of other problems in my neck. I had continued working through the pain for years, but it finally got to a point where I just couldn’t do it any longer.

So I left my job, and I knew that I had to find something else to take up some of my time, something meaningful to focus on, and something that could bring me some joy as I went through lots of different therapies, appointments, and a couple of surgeries – otherwise I would go insane. I immediately thought about photography, and before too long, I started taking classes, first at a local photography school, and then through New York Institute of Photography, which was a correspondence course. And I just totally and completely fell in love with it and dedicated myself to learning all I could!

I started (nervously) posting photos on a photo website I’d found (jpgmag.com), and was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful encouragement I got there. Before too long, I’d found somewhere online that listed “calls for art,” and eventually decided to submit some photos to one that was looking for photos to include in a small photography show held in a restaurant. And my photos got accepted!! From there I continued getting my work accepted into photography shows and art galleries, won contests, and got published!

I’ve Got Arms to Hold You

W: Have you always been based in San Francisco? Or did you begin shooting in other locations?

LS: I actually live about 40 miles outside of the city, but yes, I’ve always been based here in this area. I also spend a lot of time down in the Southern California desert and have shot there pretty extensively. And I love traveling as much as possible and photographing new places!

Ever Changing

W: Do you have a specific subject matter that you seem to be drawn to?

LS: I most love shooting landscapes and nature. But to narrow it down even further, I am totally in love with oak trees and clouds! A landscape is always more interesting and beautiful if the sky is full of gorgeous clouds! And oak trees….I just love their gnarled branches and amazing character! They so often remind me of people….wise old people full of stories.

But I Still Need You

W: How do you decide whether or not an image will be black and white? 

LS: That is always a tough decision for me! Sometimes an image immediately calls out to be black and white. Certain scenes just seem to be made for it. Definitely if I want to convey a more dramatic or possibly somber mood, I will go for black and white. But a lot of the time, I’m not sure if I’m going to go with color or black and white. And then it simply becomes a matter of trying an image both ways. I do love color, so if the color is particularly pleasing to me in an image, then I have to go with that.  I seem to be pretty selective in what gets done in black and white, though those also tend to be some of my most popular images!

Though the Tides May Turn

W: It says in your bio that you love Photoshop. What tools on Photoshop do you use the most?

LS: The Photoshop tool I probably use the most is the Spot Healing Brush Tool to get rid of the spots that are from sensor dust and dirt!

Enchanted Evening

W: Do you have any special techniques you use either while shooting or during editing?

LS: I don’t really have any special techniques when out shooting. I just always try to remember to get most shots at a couple of different focal lengths, even if I only really “see” it one way. And I always take a LOT of pictures! The more the better! Having more to choose from can only be a good thing! When editing, I love using certain adjustment layers, as well as different Photoshop actions, to tweak the tones and color a bit. I also sometimes really like to layer textures over my images to help bring out a certain mood.

Sit With Me Here

W: Do you have a trademark shot?

LS: Yes, it would have to be “Sheltering Sky.” It’s a black and white image where I was looking up at an oak tree and the sky. That is by far my best selling image! And it’s funny….after I initially took that image, I couldn’t make it work to my liking, and it sat in my files for at least a year, maybe two! Then one day I pulled it back up to see if I could make anything of it, and I actually was able to see it differently that time and was really happy with the outcome! And it became my most popular image!

Sheltering Sky

W: How do you pick the titles for all your images?

LS: A lot of thought goes into most of my titles. I try to really tap into the mood and feeling of the image. Sometimes the way I’m feeling when editing leads me down a certain road. And I often use song lyrics as titles. I really like for the title to complement the image and for both together to tell a story of sorts. I’ve heard it said before that a good photo doesn’t need a title, and I agree; it doesn’t. But even if it doesn’t NEED it, in my opinion, a good title can only make a good photo better!

It Rolls Through

W: What is your inspiration?

LS: Given the right mood, almost anything can inspire me! I get inspiration from nature itself…. I can’t look at beautiful scenery, trees, or clouds without being totally inspired! Strong feelings really make me want to create, too, whether it’s love, heartache, despair, joy, etc. I feel a huge need to share them with the world somehow! Memories, music, movies, and other artists’ and photographers’ work are some other things that can really inspire me.

The Reclining Woman

W: What challenges do you face in the industry?

LS: It’s just an extremely competitive industry! That has to be the biggest challenge! And you need to realize that just because one person may not like your work, that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It’s just one person’s opinion, and art is very subjective! Tomorrow I may come across five people who absolutely love my work! So you need to keep your head about you as much as possible, have confidence in yourself and what you do, and never give up!

Connect with Laurie here:

Website: http://laurie-search.artistwebsites.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurieSearch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laurie-Search-Fine-Art-Photography/592510690851765

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W: Can you tell us how you got your start?

MG: I always loved taking photos with my phone, and over time my interest in photography grew. One day, my dad came home with a DSLR, and since then I have worked on getting better and making every photo something I can be happy with.

W: What is your biggest inspiration?

MG: There are plenty of photographers and Instagrammers that inspire me a lot – Elizabeth Gadd, for example, or Cole Rise. Or my friend Dominik Martin, who inspires me a lot because he’s such a passionate photographer, and I learned a lot from him. But my biggest inspiration is and for sure always will be nature itself. It’s always my goal to show nature as beautiful as possible in my photos.

W:How would you describe your style?

MG: I’m still trying to figure out what my style is, but at the moment, I guess my style is often dark and mysterious. But when I feel like it, I make bright pictures, which are all about the colors and the light.

W: Where are your favorite spots to shoot?

MG: One of my favorite spots to go is Lake Blindsee in Austria, it’s such a beautiful colored mountain lake. When it comes to mountains, I recommend Hochgrat, a mountain with a fantastic view and really photogenic hiking paths.

W: What kind of equipment do you use?

MG: If I was not a student, I’d definitely have a full frame, but I’m shooting with a canon 1100D with which I often push my limits. I shoot all my pictures with a 50 mm lens and a 18-55 mm lens. Sometimes I also shoot with my iPhone. In the future, I plan to do analog photography because I really love analog photography and I need to try out the Jujica AX-1 I have.

W: Tell us the story behind one of the photos we’re featuring – why did you choose that photo to send?

MG: The photo of the road that leads through the woods is taken in my favorite woods. I actually photograph this road nearly every time we are there, which happens like every weekend. This scenery is such a great motif and it’s great to see how it changes.

W: What challenges have you had to overcome in the industry?

MG: It’s still a challenge for me to find my place as a photographer. There are still so many great photographers that it’s hard to fit into this industry. And it’s always hard to try to be better than someone who has more opportunities than you to travel or more time.

W: Do you have any special techniques? Do they define your style?

MG: I don’t really have something special techniques, but I try to photograph a lot with my 50 mm fixed focal length. And what defines my style are the edits I do in Lightroom. It’s awesome how you can style your pictures with it.

W: How do you see your career progressing?

MG: I hope I’ll be able to do more for my photography career after school and maybe reach out more to people who follow my photos.

Connect with Monika:

                 Instagram: @burninghaze

                 Tumblr: iamburninghaze.tumblr.com

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W: Can you tell us how you got your start?
EB: I have always been a very visual person. Ever since I can remember I was drawing on everything, painting, and taking pictures with whatever cameras I could find around the house. My mom was always buying me those disposable cameras (back when they were cheap, haha.) My parents took me to Europe for a couple weeks when I was 11 and we road tripped around France, Belgium and England. They bought me a little film camera and I took pictures of everything. When I was 13 they bought me a Sony VX1000, my first video camera. I started filming all my friends skateboarding and sold enough videos to websites to be able to buy a nice lens. Then I started filming more professional skateboarders and getting paid for it by companies that used the footage. Later on, I moved to Panama for 2 years for a service mission and gained an interest in traveling and seeing more cultures. I moved back to the states and started a production company, bennettfilm.com, but started spending all my money on traveling and I have now deeply fallen in love with the world.

W: What is your biggest inspiration?
EB: People doing what they love. Not limiting themselves to the boundaries our society has set for us. People that do whatever they set their minds on, passionate human beings.

W: How would you describe your style?
EB: I am a videographer because I love the stories you can tell through film. I also love photography because of the beauty you can capture and express through landscapes. They both have their uses and are two completely different forms of art. I can’t choose just one to define me.

#SORRYFORTRAVELING 2014 from Eric Bennett on Vimeo.

W: Tell us the story behind one of the photos/videos we’re featuring – why did you choose that photo/video to send?
EB: There is so much more to my photos that meets the eye, literally. Some of these photos took hours of driving, several days of camping out, sitting in the rain, sitting in the sun, for hours and hours, broken equipment, lots of gas money, lots of “sacrifice;” but the beauty of doing what you love is that there are no sacrifices, it all has a pay off and that’s what makes life enjoyable.

W: Where are your favorite spots to shoot?
EB: I was born in California and I am a beach person for sure, but I have been living in Utah for the past 3 years because I love the diversity in the landscape here. We have desert, mountains, forest, lakes, waterfalls, and snow all within an hour’s drive or less. The choices are endless here. I love shooting photos on the coast though, seascapes are always incredible when there is some good light.

W: What kind of equipment do you use?
EB: Lately I have just been using Canon. I started shooting on DSLRs with the Canon 60D and later upgraded to the 6D. Those are the cameras I shot all of these photos on. Saving up for the SONY a7s soon though to have as my main video camera.

W: Do you have any special techniques? Do they define your style?
EB: I use a lot of techniques but they are all things I have learned from friends or other shooters I look up to so I can’t claim them as my own, but my photography consists of lots of long exposures, frame blends, and focus stacks. I also really like to shoot my landscapes vertically a lot of the times, to add more depth to my pieces.

W: What challenges have you had to overcome in this industry?
EB: The biggest challenges are the personal ones. Sometimes I hate my own work, I go through phases where I am really stoked on my stuff and then others where I hate it all. That is how you grow though, if you are always content you will never push yourself. As far as in the industry, none really. Everyone is complaining about how accessible camera gear is now and how anyone can buy a professional camera, but I just say “paint brushes have always been affordable.”

W: How do you see your career progressing?
EB: I plan on settling down a little more and doing more video production work for companies around here in Utah and in the States. It’s just hard to keep it up when I am gone all the time, but some day I will make that transition and just grow my company and hire editors, camera operators, and sound technicians as we get more and more work. Later, we will use our money or seek funding to make our own independent films and productions and just blow up like that. I don’t know, seems simple to me. I just go with the flow anyways though and take opportunities as they come. So I am really open to anything.

Eric is based in Utah.
Contact him on Instagram: bennettfilm
Web: bennettfilm.com
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W: Can you tell us how you got your start?
HR: In November of 2013 I was given a 35mm Canon AE-1. I think I shot around 5 rolls within the first weekend of having it. I never had a hobby that I was this enthralled by. It was an amazing feeling to get lost through my lens.

W: What is your biggest inspiration?
HR: My biggest inspirations are all of the local photographers I have come to meet and work with. I love sharing ideas – inspiring each other. Another huge inspiration is my boyfriend, Jordon. He’s constantly pushing me to break my barriers and push myself forward. He’s my biggest fan.

W: How would you describe your style?
HR: My style is ever-changing. I try to stick to a natural feel, not too forced or unrealistic. Some days I feel brighter, less contrast; other days I am feeling shadows and lots of clarity. I am still trying to find my signature editing style, its a fun journey.

W: Tell us the story behind one of the photos we’re featuring – why did you choose that photo to send?
HR: One of my favorite photos out of this set is the photo of my close friend Madison in a bathtub. This photo is especially important to me because it’s probably one of the most beautiful images I’ve ever taken. I think I had her slide into the water about 6 or 7 times before I came out with this image. She just looks so elegant and captivating.

W: Where are your favorite spots to shoot?
HR: My favorite places to shoot really depend on the day. The mountains are an obvious favorite, especially when everything is overwhelmingly green. I also love urban locations, downtown Salt Lake City has endless possibilities.

W: What kind of equipment do you use?
HR: My first camera is a 35mm Canon AE-1 with a 50mm 2.8 and a 27-70mm 2.8. My digital is a Canon 70D with an 85mm 1.8, 28mm 1.8, 50mm 1.8 and a 18-135mm 3.5-5.6.

W: Do you have any special techniques? Do they define your style?
HR: I don’t think I necessarily have any special techniques. I try to make my clients feel like they aren’t in front of a camera, I love to catch those in-between moments. I’ve also been recently trying out shooting through different mediums.

W: What challenges have you had to overcome in this industry?
HR: My biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome is my own scrutiny. I am my own worst critic. I had to come to the realization that I can’t compare my art to the art of others. My work is different than theirs, and I am proud of that. I could stand side by side with a fellow photographer shooting the same model and our images would be completely different. It took me a long time to realize this.

W: How do you see your career progressing?
HR: My ultimate goal in life is to make photography my career. I want to shoot all forms and styles. I don’t want to limit myself to one particular type of photography. I have also thought about dabbling in videography. At the end of the day, I just want people to recognize and enjoy my art.

Heather is based in Salt Lake City, Utah
Contact her on Instagram: hnrphotog
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W: Can you tell us how you got your start?
SC: My grandmother was an art teacher at my high school. I grew up around photography and a dark room and decided to go to film school after I graduated. From there I took a few years to figure out exactly what I wanted to do, but photography was always the one thing I would do in my free time, so I decided to make a career out of it.

W: What is your biggest inspiration?
SC: I really like Ansel Adams since we had to study him in class, but also I really enjoy the photojournalist Brent Stirton, who photographs some heavy topics. His work is top notch and really shows why photography matters. 

W: How would you describe your style?
SC: Definitely more photojournalistic. While I will pose people, I prefer to let them be natural and hang back to document the moments.

W: Tell us the story behind one of the photos we’re featuring – why did you choose that photo to send?
SC: This was a child of a street vendor in Guatemala. Guatemala is one of my favorite travel destinations. I love how it goes to show we’re all the same. Kids are kids no matter where you go. This kind of work inspires me. Traveling, meeting new people, and being able to tell a story.

W: Where are your favorite spots to shoot?
SC: The mountains…anywhere that has mountains.

W: What kind of equipment do you use?
SC: I use Nikon gear but have a few cameras I still play with. In general I’m not a gear junkie, but do enjoy top end glass. 

W: Do you have any special techniques? Do they define your style?
SC: I don’t know if I would say I have any special techniques. I’m always trying to evolve and grow as a photographer. With that said I have used some popular methods like the Brenizier method, or prisming, but tend to not overdue those.

W: What challenges have you had to overcome in this industry?
SC: It took me a long time to get a foothold in the industry. Partly because I learned that the most valuable asset you can have in business is relationships. It took me a while to figure that one out. Before I was happy taking road trips by myself and having very few people in my circle, which definitely didn’t make growing a business easy. I’ve always been a loner at heart.

W: How do you see your career progressing?
SC: I’d like to shoot wedding and lifestyle work for a while. I’ll probably evolve to the commercial side of things as time goes on because I can’t envision myself being a 55-year-old wedding photographer – if that’s even going to be a career option at that point. 

Sean is based in North Carolina.
Contact him on Instagram: seancarrphotography
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